College For Every Student names boardroom for contributors

College For Every Student (CFES) has received a gift from Lawson and Clint Allen, longtime seasonal residents of Essex, and has named the boardroom in its new national headquarters in honor of the Allens.

In January, CFES moved its national headquarters to the 6,000 square foot building at 2303 Main Street in Essex. The second floor of the building—where the Lawson and Clint Allen Boardroom is located—houses the organization’s offices and day-to-day operations. The CFES Center, in the back of the building, provides state-of-the-art meeting space for trainings and gatherings.

“Lawson and Clint’s contribution to the CFES Building Fund enables CFES to strengthen its position as America’s preeminent nonprofit dedicated to helping underserved students get to and through college,” said Rick Dalton, president and CEO of College For Every Student. “We’re so fortunate to have residents in the North Country who are so caring and generous, and we owe our deepest gratitude to the Allens,”

Active in philanthropy, Lawson and Clint Allen, have a long history of supporting education. They have endowed two full scholarships at Harvard University (Allen Scholars), a scholarship to Cardinal Spellman High School, where Clint was a student, and recently they established an annual four-year scholarship to a graduating high school senior who resides in Essex. The couple recently gave a major gift to the Massachusetts General Hospital, where Clint Allen serves on the board. In addition to joining the CFES board, Lawson also serves on the board of Posse, a leadership access program to top tier colleges.

“We cannot think of anything more important in today’s world than the education of kids. When you empower young people, you empower the future,” said Allen. “We are proud and privileged to support CFES and the great work that they are doing,”